Record-filing system



m m n ma C. l. WAGNER RECORD FILING SYSTEM Flled Sept 28, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet Sept. 25, 1928.

Sept. 25, 1928. 1,685,206

I c. 1. WAGNER 1 RECORD FILING SYSTEM Filed $6 1. 28, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ABC DEF GHI JKL' VINO PQR- STU 'VWY- X2 1 Z 3 5 6 7 8 9 l4/um/hum Perpefua/ a 5 lllllllli uimi IN VEN TOR. 4&5 2 $7M A TTORNEY.

Sept. 25, 1928. 1,685,206

c. l. WAGNER RECORD FILING SYSTEM iled Sept. 28, 25 4 sheets-sheet 3 a .gilyf,

INVENTOR. M BY I Q; A K

A TTORNEY.

Sept. 25, 1928. 1,0 5,206

c. I. WAGNER nscoan FILING sys'mu 9 Filed Sept. 28, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet. 4

JV w Y 800 808800808 1 :89 s T u 700707700707] 9 0 'R 800 808800 808 1 TM N 0 5008055008051 fi6/// U K -L 400 40 440040 4 1 6 H I 300303 300 30 3 '1 L D E FZOOZOZZOOZOZ'] L A B C 10010:] 100101' fl L// fi- L Ja i fi C 5\ A B C IOOKIO I I00 I0 I I00 I08 I y -awzll'lLENTOR.

Patented Sept 25, 1928.

UNITED STATES cnnsrna r. waemm, or mnw tour, I. I.

nn'conn-rmme s srmr.

Application filed September 28, 1828. Serial Io. 065, 0.

This invention relates tosystems for filing i records, and is of particular utility when employed in connection with systems dealing with a multiplicity of units of subject-matter, such as the cards in an index, or the folders containing letters in a correspondence file, these constituting elements of the system to which additions are frequently being made of subject-m atter units, singly and in groups, and also more extended additions of subjectmatter units in orders, such additions being often of a character and extent which are indeterminate at the time of commencing the installation of the system, so that the system should afford provision for substantially infinite expansion, and should be sufficiently elastic in its basic principle not only to accommodate additions of all possible orders, but also to permit convenient accomplishment 29 of all the deletions requisite to elimination of obsolete subject-matter.

Conventional filing systems ordinarily comprise also guidednembers, interpolated among the subject-matter units to aid in filing and finding the units, and while the subjectmatter units are more or less adventitious, their permanence as'elements in the system varying according to the nature of their subject-matter, on the contrary the guide-memhere should constitute a perpetual element,

the guide-members expanding in their aggregate quantity to meet the demands of convenience in filing and finding, as the quantity of units is increased.

These guide-members should be of such. a character that this element of the system will not constitute a set which must be discarded in its entirety and replaced by a larger set to meet the demands of growth in the system, 40 but can be expanded by the addition at any time of such a quantity of guide-members as the growth of the system requires at that time.

The guide-members should also be of such a character preferably that one or more of them can be withdrawn from any part of the ,7 system when not needed there, and can, if required, be used elsewhere in the system, and thus maintain the system in most convenient condition for current use, and free from deadwood.

So far as I am aware, the only system which meets the above requirements for a perpetual and universal system of filing, to any practical extent, is that forming the subject of my copending application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 144,260, filed Jan. 24, 1917, and it is to the improvement of the latter that mg present invention is particularly directe although I contemplate the utilization of my improvements in any field for which they are adapted by their nature,

respectively.

In the system forming the subject of my aforesaid application, Ser. No. 144,260, the

several units of matter to be filed in filing devices of all kinds are provided with numerical designations respectively related to the conventional verbal designations of said units, and coded therefrom in such a mannor that no separate record, cross-index or like record is necessary to identify the numeric designation with the alphabetic, geographic or subject designation under which the matter is commonly identified, and in accordance with an important feature of my aforesaid invention these numeric designations are preferably arranged to remain on the units of matter in juxtaposition with the ordinary designations, to facilitate location of the matter for reference, filing and finding.

The aforesaid system is expansible to an unlimited extent by the interpolation of additional units, and orders of units, of matter, and is likewise contractible, and comprises also a similarly expansible and contractible system of guide-members and sub-guidemembers for interpolation with the units of matter. said guide-members bearing numerical indicia also coded from the designations of said subject-matter. the subjects-matter being therefore indexed by the guides in such a manner that the matter can be easily lo cated for reference, filing and finding.

In the installation of the aforesaid system, it is unnecessary toascerta'in or forecast the amount of matter to be filed therein eventual- 1y, nor is the user obliged to place the whole system of guides in the files at the beginning of the filing period. 7

Another highlv important object accomplished by the aforesaid system is the organization of tabs bearing the indieia, on the guide-members, in such alignment as to present the decimal components of the filing n m ers in successive overlapped or ofl-set positions readable as a whole to indicate the exact position of any single unit or group thereof, and in the same manner to index further an order, a. group or a subdivision of units. by tabs aligned difl'erently, or hearing iudicia with differentiating characteristics, in connection with similar decimal components coded from secondary designations, such as given names or initials.

The foregoing features of, my aforesaid system have been made the subject of generic claims in my aforesaid application, to which reference may be had for a more extended description of their details, advantages and differences from conventional practice, but

they are thus summarized briefly herein for the reason that the system forming the subject of my present invention preferably embodies these and other 'features of my aforesaid system, as will be made to appear more at length in my present application, which is to be considered as in part a continuation of my aforesaid application, with respect to certain'portions of the subject-matter.

I have, however, not only departed to a noteworthy extent from conventional usage in the provisions hereinafter set forth, but these also constitute a notable improvement over the provisions of my aforesaid application.

First.'lhen, I have provided a system of coding which corresponds so closely to normal alphabetical order that the leading components of the index-numbers derived from the subject-matter designations may be placed on tabs of main guide-members in association with other tabs, on the same guidemembers, bearing the corresponding letters of the alphabet, so ,that when the installation of the system is commenced. the units of matter can be. and preferably are, arranged alphabetically, in the normal manner, and the main guide-members are likewise interpolated alphabetically among the units, use being made of the guide-tabs thereon bearing letters of the alphabet, for filing and finding ABC DEF our JKL 1 2 3 4 If the subject-matter designation is the name of an individual. the three-digit filingnumber may be coded from the first three let-,

753-730, (ciphers being added to fill out any filing-number where the surname lacks the necessary number of letters); still further units of matter, until the latter increase to a quantity which requires subdivision of one or more of these alphabetical divisions.

Until such subdivision is required, the complcmental index-numbers on' the associated muuber-bearing tabs of the guides can be disregarded, nor is it necessary until then to provide the units of matter with the coded ind icia, so that my novel system can be installed also in existing record-files with but little need for change at the outset, mercly'substituting for existing alphabetical guides the novel main-guides bearing both alphabetical and complemental numerical i ndicia, the filerecord being thereby provided with the basis for infinite subdivision, by exclusively numeric guide-members, in accordance with my novel system. It is noteworthy that even though the numerical indicia be not used in filing and finding matter at this stage of the systems development. nevertheless the presence of the numerical indicia, thus associated with the alphabetical indicia, has an educative efi'ect upon the filing clerks that is of value, preparatory to subsequent stages of development. This association of alphabetical and numerical indicia upon separate tabs carried by the same guide member is novel, and constitutes a notable improvement over the conventional alphabetic. numeric or alphabetic-numeric-systems of indexing, and also over the system of my aforesaid application, Ser. No. 144,260.

Sec0ndZ z .As the next step in the development of the system, each unit of subject-matter in the record-file, or in that division thereof which requires subdividing, is provided with a primary filing-number comprising not less nor more than three digits. i. e., units, tens and hundreds. and these filing-numbers are derived from the subject-matter designations according to a suitable code, such as that to which reference has already been made, and which will preferably be substantially as follows, viz:

subdivisions being provided for preferably by tertiary and quaternary filing-numbers derived from the first three letters of the given name and the first three letters of the middle name respectively, so that the name George Stewart Smith, for example. written conventionally with its derived filing-numbers, would appear as follows SMI-TH-GEO-STE 7 53 130-32 5472 ThirdZy .In order to permit easy and rapid filing and finding of the units of matter bearing these filing-numbers, to what- For the primary index-numbers there is a set of three such rows of tabs, in one f which rows stand the leading decimal co ponents, comprising the hundreds-digits of the primary index-numbers, while in an adjacent offi set row stand tabs, bearing the decimal components constituted by the tens-digits of the primary index numbers, and in the next adjacent offset row stand tabs bearing the deci mal components constituted by the units-digits ofthe primary index numbers.

To locate the position of any unit of matter bearing agiven primary'filing-number, either for filing or finding the same, the user will first find the guide bearing the first letter of the alphabetical designation, such as S in Smith, which guide carries also, on a separate tab in the hundreds row, the leading decimal component 700 of the index-number, and the user will then search the adjacent row for the tens-digit component, and finally will search the next adjacent row for the guidetab bearing the units-digit component, 3, behind which guide the unit of mat ter will be filed or found.

To aid in identifying the guide-tabs for such operations of location, my invention provides for differentiating the guides 'respec-,

tively bearing components of a primary index-number, from the guides bearing components of secondary, tertiary and quaternary index-numbers, this differentiation being preferably provided for either by alignment of the three rows of tabs leading to primary index-numbers, in a set separately from the set of rows of tabs leading to secondary index-numbers, and separately from those sets of rows leading to tertiary or quaternary index-numbers, where space permits, or by such differentiating means as one color for all tabs in a primary series, and different colors for the secondary, tertiary and quaternary series respectively, or by combinations of differences in both alignment and color.

For example, the guide-tabs in a primary series may be colored blue; those in a secondary series red; those in atert-iary series yellow; and those in a quaternary series green; and the blueseries and the yellow series may be aligned in the same row, while the red series and the green series may be aligned together in another row; such an arrangement having the practical value that in an operation of location the searcher will observe tabs of a blue color first, then shift to a different set of rows for observation of red tabs; and will then shift back to the first set of rows for observation of the contrasting yellow tabs; and finally shift again to observe the green tabs in contrast with the red; so that the eye of the user is aided each time by the shift of alignment as well as the change of color. Where space permits of providing three or four sets of rows .in separate alignment, the

differentiation by color may still accompany the shift of observation; or if only a single .set of rows can be employed, the difference of color may serve without a shift of alignment,

but it is preferable to provide for distinguishments comprising both change of color and alignment.

FOWthZy.The oustanding characteristic of such a system being that it is perpetual,

I have devised novel means to constitute its elements of materials which are substantially indestructible by long and severe usage, by extremely varied and unfavorable atmospheric conditions, and which are non-combustible and therefore resistant to ordinary damage by fire.

It would be desirable theoretically, for the above purpose, to form all the constituent members of metal, including the units of subject-matter, such as the cards in an index and the folders containing letters, and also the correspondence or other units filed, but it will be sufficient ordinarily to provide metal guide-members for such a system, as these constitute the really perpetual element of the system, as already mentioned, and are usually adequate in number, and so spaced throughout the system, as to diminish the fire-risk greatly, even where they are interpolated among large numbers of combustible cards or other units of subject-matter.

Accordingly, an important object of my present invention is to provide a system of the character described, combining as elements a multiplicity of units of subject-matter, and guide-members interpolated with said units, in which system certain of said elements are formed of metal.

The provision of metal members, however, in such a system, involves certain difficulties, the nature of which will now be described, with the means devised to overcome said difficulties, which affect the constitution of the 1 system in its entirety, although the difficulties and their solution may be described best in their relation to the guide-members, in the first instance.

As the primary function of said guide-- members, in such a system, is to afford means for filing and finding the units of subjectmatter conveniently, it is essential, as already indicated, to provide the guide-members with indicia related to designations on the subjectmatter units, and these indicia are usually printed or written upon the upper margins of the conventional guides, or upon tabs formed integrally with the guides, or afiixed thereto, the subject-matter units likewise being preferably provided respectively with typewritten or manuscript indicia correspondingto those on the guide-members, to aid in filing the units in proper position relatively to the guide-members, as already set forth, such guides and units of matter being ordinarily made of paper or paper products.

My novel three-digit index-numberscan be readily applied to the conventipnal guides of paper or paper-products by writing or pr1n tmg the t rec-digit numbers thereon, and in this respect possess similar capabilltles and advantages as the index-numbers described and claimed in my aforesaid application, Ser. No. 144,260 wherein the indicia are exemplified as five-di git primary index-numbers. The novel three-digit index-numbers are, moreover, particularly applicable to use upon metal guides, for which they arepreferable to the five-digit indicia, for the following rea sons:

In the provision of such indicia upon the upper margin or guide-members or other record-file-elements formed of metal, a difliculty arises, due to the spacial limitations of said upper margin, which ordinarily varies 1n width from five inches, in the instance of the smaller guides, to about twelve inches, in the instance of correspondance guides, and seldom.

exceeds fifteen inches, in the instance of the cap guides for legal and similar documents.

As it is desirable to have indicia of ample siZe,tl1e tabsbearingtheindiciashould belarge and not too closely crowded in their lateral rows, which are offset, for ease of observation, and while the larger guide-members afford space on the upper margins for more rows of tabs than do the smaller guides, the upper margins are rarely wide enough to accommodate enough rows to receive such indicia as all the letters of the alphabet, or numbers, in very extended series, even. upon the larger members, and it is therefore desirable to devise an arrangement of tabs suited to the spacial limitations of the smaller members, in order to preserve the convenience, in operations of location, afforded by an arrangement of indicia which is substantially uniform throughout the different sizes of members.

Such uniformity is desirable also in order to reduce to a minimum the operations to be performed in applying the indicia to the metal guide-members, for it is difiicult to provide metal guides, or other metal members, with sufficiently permanent indicia by a single operation of printing the indicia upon the metal in the conventional manner of printing such indicia upon a guide of paper or pasteboard; and it is equally difficult to rovide legible and permanent indicia in the orm of typewritten or manuscript characters upon such metal guides.

The most satisfactory method of providing the metal guide-members with permanent indicia is to treat the metal by means of dies, in order to emboss the alphabetical or numerical indicia in relief or intaglio characters in the metal, or to enamel or etch the surface thereof, in order to secure a marking as permanent as the pipetual character of the system requires, but s h treatment may be too expensive when providing for very extended numbers running up into millions, (if numerical indicia are applied in the five-digit form shown in my aforsaid application,) by reason of the prohibitive cost of initial construction, and the constant maintenance, of the very large set of dies which would be required to apply these very extended indicia to metal guide-members in such a permanent manner as to render the system perpetual.

Accordingly, I have overcome, the above difficulty due to. spacial limitations, and the further economic difficulty of forming numerical indicia in extended series with a large number of dies, by my present novel arrangement of three-digit index-numbers, which is suited to all sizes of file-record elements, whether or not formed of metal, and is suited especially to guide-members formed of metal, such as aluminum, and this constitutes an important feature of my present invention, as the three-digit indicia coded and arranged according to my novel system above described can be applied universally to every metal guide-member of such a system by the use of a relatively small number of dies.

In effecting this objective of my invention, I provide blanks of sheet metal of any desired or suitable form, such as the conventional shapes and sizes of guide-members used in existing files, preferably using those sizes which have been adopted as standard, to permit the ready adoption of my improvements in existing files, and I proceed to apply to these blanks the basic components of the indicia, preferably by embossing the same along the upper margin of each blank.

My invention makes it possible to provide all the-stock guides required for a perpetual and infinitely expansible system, by the use of less than ten different sets of blanks, and, therefore, less than ten different dies to form the blanks, inasmuch as I have devised my novel combination of alphabetical and numerical indicia for the guides, already described, with special reference to the formation of the numeric indicia upon the margins of the blanks in the same operation by which the complemental alphabetic indicia are embossed thereon; and I have so devised my novel code already described, as to permit the formation of several letters of the alphabet on each blank, by the same embossmenace ing operation with several decimal components of the numerical indicia; and I have so devised the organization of the decimal components in ofi'set rows as to permit the formation on each blank of several sets of decimal components of the numerical indicia, concurtiously, in response to requests for those main-guides carrying the letters of the al phabet for which the demand may predominate at any given time, that the demand can be met readi y without forecasting the same, and as the exclusively numerical sub-guides can be used with any main-guides, the manufacturer can meet the demand for sub-guides with equal expedition, in the desired uantities, and as a corollary the user nee only stock such quantities as will provide a conservative margin over the guides in current use.

The foregoing improvements unite to yield a filing system of a per tual character, infinitely expansible, and in which the perpetual elements are of an indestructible character, so that the system is not subject to wasteful replacements, and accordingly the supplies are vested with a staple character that permits a stabilization of prices, and an accuracy of estimation in cost of installation and maintenance, which is beneficial alike to user and producer, and which the art has lacked heretofore.

The various features of my invention will be illustrated and described fully in the acv companying drawings and specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a View in perspective of an assembly of subject-matter-cards or units with interpolated guides or members, constituting a record-file in the formation of which my improvements have been embodied.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a portion of the record-file shown in Fig. 1, after expansion thereof by the addition of numerous subjectmatter-units, and subdivided by the interpolation of sub-guides required for convenience in filing and finding the subject-matter-units, in accordance with my novel system.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a portion of the record-file shown in Figs. 1 and 2, after expansion in still greater detail by the addition of very numerous subject-matter-units, and subdivided further by an appropriate uantity of sub guides, within a smgle alpha tical division of the record-file.

Fig. 4 is a face view of an instruction card settin forth the code for my improved perpetua guide-system.

Figure 5 shows in perspective, on a larger scale, nine blanks which represent in the aggregate the entire series of blanks from w 1ch a complete equipment of guides for such a record-file can be formed, according to my system.

Fig. 6 is a face view on a smaller scale of a modified blank, being one of a series of nine, such as those shown in Fig. 5, but much lar er.

ig. 7 is a detail view in perspective of a fragment of one of the blanks shown in Fig. 5, after its formation into a guide by tabbing or cutting away the upper margin thereof at all regions except the regions of the particular letter and decimal com onent to be designated by the guide, and t is figure shows the inclined arrangement of the upper margin, for convenience in observation by the user.

Fig. 8 is a, face View of a card constituting one of the subject-matter-units of the recordfile illustrated, and isolated therefrom, to show more clearly the subject-matter designation on the card, and the filing-numbers coded from, and related to, the subjectmatter designation.

In the embodiment of my invention selected for illustration and description to permit ready and complete understanding of m improvements, a record-file is shown in di ferent stages of its development, the recordfile comprising as one element a multi lioity of conventional index cards distinguis ed in general by the reference character a, throu hout the drawings, unless specificially tinguished otherwise, and these cards carry upon their faces such subject-matter as the record-file is designed to include; as for example the names, addresses and business of persons, firms and corporations, one of these pi ards being shown in detail, isolated, in

The cards (1 thus constitute subject-matterunits, and are so referred to generically herein, whatever may be the nature of the sub-- ject-matter they carry, and this term subjectmatter-units, or, more briefl units of matter, applies not only to in ex cards, but to all other articles. subject to filing, such as letters, folders for correspondence, and objects of the nature of hotographs, catalogs, etc., the kind of units ing ummportant, as well as their material, form, size, color and other physical characteristics.

To permit easy identification of the res ctive units of matter, each unit a is providzd, preferably, with an individual designation of its subject-matter, such as the name George Stewart Smith upon'one card, as shown at a*, the name occupying the conventional place for such designations, viz, the upper left-hand corner of the card, with the surname written first; then the given name and the middle name, in the order mentioned.

Thus far, the procedure described follows conventional practice so closely as to render the installation of my improved system easy even for persons having only a very elementary knowledge of the art of filing, inasmuch as the cards a, or other units of sub'ect-matter, can be readily assembled in alphabetical order, or approximately alphabetical order, either with or without the guide-members shown in the drawings, these guides being distinguished in general, throughout the drawings, by the reference characters 6, and constituting in the aggregate another element of the record-file, and one which is designed to be perpetual, in accordance with the invention forming the subject of generic claims in my copending application for United States Letters Patent, Ser. No. 144,260, as already noted hereinbefore.

The guides b may be of any material, shape and size suitable to carry my invention into effect, and may be provided with any indicia suitable for that purpose.

Preferably they will be of standard sizes and shapes, and in accordance with an important object of my invention the guides are referably formed of a material indestructifile by long and severe wear, not affected by unfavorable atmospheric conditions, and not combustible. For this purpose metal constitutes the best material, and aluminum is preferred, by reason of its light weight, its bright and attractive appearance in the file, which it aids to illuminate, by reflection of light; and by reason of its agreeable feel when handled frequently, and other qualities characteristic of aluminum, and which need not be detailed herein, except that its use as a material for guides introduces a permanent series of fire-proof artitions in the file, greatly diminishing the hazard of complete or partial destruction by fire of the units of matter when the latter are formed of conventional material, such as paper or paper products; and the fire hazard may be further reduced by extending the use of aluminum as a material for other elements of the record file, so far as found convenient and desirable.

As the principal function of the guides b is to aid in the location of any desired unit of matter, for reference, filing and finding, each guide is provided with indicia related to the subject-matter designations upon the units of matter a, according to the system disclosed and claimed in my aforesaid application Ser. No. 144,260, with certain im ortant improvements which have been alrea y indicated in part, and which will appear more Initial stoige of development.

According to the aforesaid system, and the first-mentioned of my present improvements thereon, the guides b comprise a series of main guides provided with correlated alphabetical and, numerical indicia, the series being shown complete in Fig. 1, which represents the record-file in the initial stage of its development, each main-guide b of this series having thereon a tab b which bears a letter of the alphabet, and a separate tab 6 which bears the leading decimal component of an index-number, or index-numbers, derived from the subject-matter designations a* upon the units of matter a, according to a suitable iodel,1 which is preferably the code already set 'ort By this novel association of alphabetic indicia with numerical indicia, I secure the advantages of alphabetic indexing at the stage of ori inal installation, as the guide-tab b with t e letter A, for example, leads directly to all units of subject-matter whose designations, arranged conventionally, begin with the letter A, and these units may be filed and found most expeditiously'by a simple operation of locating the desired unit among those units standing betwen the A and B tabs borne by the main-guides; and so on throughout the alphabet,the filing clerk not being required to pay attention'to the complementary separate tabs 6 of the main guides, bearing .the leading decimal components of the numerical indicia.

Such indexing designedly follows conventional usage, by preference, .and as such, does not require particular description, in general, but special attention is directed to the novel organization of the letter-bearing tabs 6 in their relation to the tabs 6 bearing the. leading decimal components of the numerical indicia, which organization is preferably substantially that illustrated throughout the drawings, and most clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Where use is made of my novel code, the main-guides I) having tabs 6 bearing respectively the letters A, B and C are each provided preferably with a separate tab 6 bearing the leading decimal component 100 of what may be termed the primary indexnumber of the numerical indicia, the term primary being used without technical limitation, but for the sake of brevity, to designate the initial step in the unlimited subdivision of which my system is capable, while the terms secondary tertiary and qua: ternary index-numbers, are likewise merely conveniently brief ordinal expressions to identify successive further stages of subdivision accompanying the progressive expansion of the subjet-matter and the attendant inter- 'polation of the requisite numerical subguides.

So also, the main-guides 'b havin tabs 6 bearing respectively the letters D, and F are each provided preferably with a separate tab 6 bearingthe leading decimal component 200 of another primary index number of the numerical indicia; while the main guides 6 having tabs 6 bearing respectively the letters G, H and I, are each provided preferably with a separate tab'jb bearing the leading decimal component, 300 of still another primary index number; and so on, through the nine groups of letters among which the letters of the alphabet are divided in accordance with the system of coding which I have illustrated.

For the sake of convenience in observation I prefer to place the letters ofthe alphabet upon tabs 6 situated toward the left-hand side of the upper margins of the'main guides, in a plurality of rows offset from left to right, so that the tabs 6 bearing the letters A, D, G, J, M, and so on, are in a row occupying preferably the first position at the left, while the letters B, E, H, K, and so on, are in the next ofi'set row, and the letters C, F, I, L, and so on, are in a third offset row or position; the leading decimal components of the primary index-numbers being aligned in a single row of tabs 6 which constitutes the first indexing position of the numerical indicia, not far rerinoyed from the third row of alphabetical inicia.

The record-file in its initial stage presents substantially the appearance illustrated in Fig. 1, and is operable as an alphabetically indexed system, with the subject-matter units a not requiring index-numbers, and the guide tabs 6 displaying the index-letters in rela tively compact, but visibly extended position.

To promote visibility, I prefer to form the letters and numerical indicia in bold relief or intaglio characters upon the tabs 6 and b respectively, as illustrated in detail in Fig. 7, at c and 0 ,,and when, as I prefer, these tabs are constituted as integral extensions of an aluminum guide, I prefer to enamel the face at of the tabs, surrounding the letter or number, and I leave the embossed portion free from color, in the naturally bright color of the aluminum, which is in attractive contrast with the enamel, of whatever color, my preference as a color for the tabs b bearing the letters of the alphabet, andthe tabs I), bearing the decimal components of primary index-numbers, being blue, this idicating the first three letters of the surname. This color blue is indicated conventionally throughout the drawings by a hatching of horizontal lines, and in Fig. 1 all of the tabs shown are indicated as blue in color.

I prefer also to incline the tabs 6 and b rearward, as indicated in the drawings, this inclined position being impossible to obtain permanently by bending back the tabs of con- 7 I do not hmit myself, however, to the use of indicia upon integral tabs, but contemplate their use upon attachments for the guides, such for example as those forming the subjct-matter of my copending application for nited States Letters Patent, Ser. No.

589,19, filed Sept. 20, 1922.

Second stage of development.

When the quantity of subject-matter units a has increased to such an extent that alphabetical indexing is no longer convenient, and it is desired to subdivide one or more of the groups, theretofore indexed by letters of the alphabet, such as the subject-matter units a indexed by the main guide 6 bearing the letter S, these latter subject-matter units a are first respectivelyprovided preferablywith filing-numbers coded from their subject-matter designations in the manner already indicated, and as shown at a upon one of the subject-matter units a which constitute that portion of the expanded record-file illustrated in Fig. 2, including the units indexed by the let ters Q to XZ, the units from B to P inclusive bein omitted to save space in this figure of the awing, their absence being indicated by the gap between the main A guide and the main Q guide. Y

For example, the unit a bearing the designation Smith, George Stewart at a* in Fig. 2, is shown partly withdrawn to exhibit the primary filing-number which has been ap plied thereto, as illustrated at a, being the number 753, which is derived from the first three letters of the surname according to the code hereinbefore set forth, and which code is preferably displayed upon an instruction card furnished to users with the original installment of record-file'elements, such an instruction card being shown in Fig. 4, to which reference may be made advantageously to aid in understanding the present description of the various stages of development of the systern.

, This primary filing-number, and the letters from which it is coded may, and preferably will, be typewritten upon the unit a in SMI ]uxtapos1t1on, viz, m and for this purpose use may conveniently be made of the typewriting device shown and described in my aforesaid application, Ser. No. 144,260, or of any similar device suitable for the purpose of providing the alphabetical and numerical indicia concurrently, for the sake of accuracy and speed.

Each subject-matter unit a in that portion of the file-record which is to be subdivlded, is so provided with a primary filing number (1 thus consisting of no more and no less than three digits, and coded in the same manner from the first three letters of the surname forming part of the conventional subjectmatter designation a on each of the said units of matter in the portion of the recordfile shown in Fig. 2. These three-digit numbers a will be found uite suflicient to differentiate the units of S11 j cot-matter within the S division at this stage of development of the system, in connection with the sub-guides now to be described.

Reverting again to the unit of matter bearing the designation George StewartSmith, it has been seen that whether in the earlier sta e of development of the record-file shown in Fig. 1, or in the stage now being described, shown in Fig. 2, the above unit stands back of the main guide b which bears on its tab 6 the alphabetical index letter S and bears upon a separate tab the number 700 which has been defined as the leading decimal component of the primary lIlClQX-Illlll'lbGl', so

that it constitutes the first guide to be consulted in filing or finding the subject-matter unit bearing the designation George Stewart Smith, or any other unit whose designation, written conventionally, begins with the letters SMI, or written as above the filing number a being read Seven hundred and fifty three rather than Seven five three so that the leading component Seven hundred suggests its numerical equivalent 700, on the tab 6 of the main S guide 6.

Following the above mode of description, the next decimal component of the primary filing number is that of the tens-digit, which is in the present instance, and in accordance with my invention, provision is made of a sub-guide having a tab 1) bearing the decimal component 50 in a position offset, toward the right hand preferably, from the position in which stand the tabs 6 bearing the hundreds-digits, or leading, components of the index numbers, the number 50 appearing therefore in a row assigned to the tabs 1) of all the tens-digits components, as shown in Fig. 2, and other figures, where will be found for example, tabs 5 bearing the numbers 10, 20, 30, 40, ahead ofthe tab 6 bearing the number 50, so that starting with the number 700 on the tab 6 of the main S guide 6, and shifting to the tensdigit row of tabs 6, the searcher runs quickly over the 10, the 20, the 30, and the 40 until he arrives at the 50, behind which he finds the unit or units of matter bearing the filing-number 7 53, that is to say, every unit whose subject-matter designation begins with the letters SMI, and among these will be the George Stewart Smith unit, which can be found readily in the instance shown in Fig. 2 for the reason that the record-file does not happen to contain an extremely large number of cards or units bearing designations beginning with SMI, so that it is suflicient to index the numbers 7 53 b the hundreds-guide 7 00 and the tcns-guii e 50, without adding a units-digit guide 3.

Such a guide may be added whenever required, however, and, in accordance with my invention, the sub-guides b bearing the unitsdigits components of the primary index numbers will have tabs b in a position forming a row, offset from, and next adjacent to, the above described row of tabs 6 bearing tens-digits components, such a row of unitsdigits components appearing in Fig. 2, with the units-digit 4 upon a tab 6 which appears in this adjoining row as the next tab to' the I) tab 10 following the S 700, S0 that all subject-matter units in the S 700 division bearing primary filing numbers between 700 and 7 H would be filed and found between the 10 tab 7) and the 4 tab 6 in that division.

Similarly, as the next tab in the units-digits row 5 bears the number 6, all subjectmatter-units bearing the primary filing-numbers 714 and 715, in this division led by the S 700 main-guide, will be filed and found between the units-digit sub-guides 4 and 6; while all subject-matter units bearing primary filing numbers from 716 to 719'inelusive will be filed and found between the tab 1) of the aforesaid units-digit sub-guide 6'' bearing the decimal component 6 and the next sub-guide I) whose tab I) bears the decimal component 20, in the tens-digit row, there being no units-digit sub-guides for filing numbers from 717 to 719 for the reason that there are relatively few subject-matter units bearing those filing numbers, and therefore they can be readily found and filed as above described.

So also there are no sub-guides in the unitsdigit row I) for S numbers running from 7 21 to 799, with the exception of the sub-guide 5 between the tens-digit sub-guides 20 and 30, and the sub-guide 7 between the tens-digit sub-guides 50 and inasmuch as the subject-matter units bearing numbers from 721 to 799 are sufliciently indexed, generally speaking, for convenient reference, filing and finding, by the tabs 6 of the tens-digit sub-guides 1) bearing the decimal components 20, 30, 40, etc.

\Vhat has been said above in describing the sub-division of subject-matter units back of the main-guide S 7 00 in this second sta e 1 of development of the system, applies equally to the subdivision of subject-matter units in the other alphabetical divisions, and it ma be noted that the subject-matter units bac of the main-guide Q 600, and those back of the main-guide Y 800 and those back Third stage of development.

When the quantity of subject-matter units a has increased further to such an extent that the primary index-numbers composed as above described of three digits read in continuity from row to row upon the set of rows in WhlOh are aligned respectively the What, b and 1) bearing the leading, or hundreds, decimal components the tens decimal components and the umt-digit decimal components, no longer afford a sufiiciently convenient means of indexing the subject-matter units in any alphabetical division, and it is desired to efiect a further differentiation between the subject-matter units which have been subdivided already by the primary subguides as above described, my invention provides for such further subdivision as follows:

Preferably the subject-matter units a in the alphabetical divislon' or divisions, or in such subdivisions thereof as are to be further subdivided, as for example the subject-matter units back of the primary mainide S 700, (which units of matter are i ustrated in Fig. 3 as having increased in quantity to such an extent that they occupy more space in the file than did the original quantity of subject-matter units a shown in all the alphabetical divisions of Fig. 1), are now provided respectively with secondary filing numbers, a, coded from their subject-matter designations in the manner already described with reference to the primary filing numbers but.

derived from the second three letters of the surnames.

Accordingly, when so provided with a secondary three-digit filin number, in addition to the primary three-digit filing number already thereon, the filing lndicia upon the George Stewart Smith subject-matter unit a, as shown in Fig. 3, would exhibit the primary and secondary filing numbers, a, a, written in juxtaposition with the name Smith, as follows:

SMI-TH. 753-730 The secondary filing number is 730, being provided with the final cipher for the reason that the name Smith only has five letters, and as I prefer to adhere strictly to the three-digit arrangement of the filing numbers, principally for the sake of rapid and accurate observation, as well as to aid the memory and to facilitate the formation upon the guides of the decimal components of all such index numbers asmay be required for convenience in operations of location, to whatever extent the subdivisions may be carried, it is 'to be understood that wherever letters are lacking in a surname, or in any other portion of a subject-matter designation, to furnish the basis for a complete three-digit filing number the necessary cipher or ciphers will be added to fill out the filing number whether the latter be a primar secondary, tertiary, quaternary or other ling number, for my invention contem lates subdivision to an extent only governed y convenience in operations of location, and which may be carrled to an unlimited degree.

For the sake of compactness in illustration, 80 and brevity in description, I have shown in Fig. 3 a portion of 'a record-file which has been expanded by addition of subject-matter units in the al habetical division back of the main-guide 700 to an extent which requires in certain places primary, secondary, tertiar and quaternary guides to permit convenient location of the respective subjectmatter units a, and I will so describe this portion of the filing record, inasmuch as it not seldom happens that the growth or expansion of such a system is so rapid, or the quantity of subject-matter units is so great at the time of installation, that the sub-division must be made at one time which ordinarily would occur in successive stages distributed over considerable eriods, it being understood that the develbpment of the system by such stages comes equally within the purview of my invention.

W at I may term the tertiary subdivision of the subject-matter units proceeds in exactly the same manner as did the rimary division thereof already describe in detail, so far as the basic principle is con- 10:; cerned, and so does the quaternary subdivision, and so may any subsequent subdi vision, as a general rule, the derivation of the filing numbers from the subject-matter designations being ca able of such variations as nu ma be desired an found suitable.

or purposes of a name-filing recordfile such as that selected for illustration, the tertiary filing numbers a may be coded from the first three letters of the given name, and 116 the quaternar filing numbers a may be coded from the rst three letters of the middle name, where such exist, in each instance, so that in the instance of the George Stewart Smith unit, the complete series of filing num- 1 bers, coded as above, and written in juxtaposition with corresponding letters of the name, stands as follows, and so appears upon the unit as shown in Fig. 8, viz.,

SMI TH. GEO%TE 75 37303 2 5-77 2 tion of the record-file illustrated in Fig. 3, and a description of the guides by which it is indexed will serve as the simplest mode of rendering clear the constitution of the file at this stage in the development of my novel system.

In the operation of locating the George Stewart Smith card, the filing clerk would first ascertain the position of the mainuide appropriate thereto, which is the third row 0 the first set of three rows of exclusively numerical decimal components of the threedigit index-numbers shown in Fig. 3, constituting the primary series of guide-tabs indexing the primary filing number 753; the next step in the operation of location being to search for the leading component of the secondary index-number 730 which will be found in the next adjacent row of tabs, toward the right, as a hundreds-digit 700, the guide upon which it is formed being further distinguished by the reference character I) for convenience in description.

The tabs bearing decimal components of the secondary index-numbers are colored differently from those bearing decimal comonent/s of the primary index-numbers, and 1n Fig. 3 the tab 6 is illustrated as of red color, indicated by vertical hatching, as are all the tabs bearing secondary decimal components, and being thus distinguished cleary from the blue tabs in the set of rows bearing the primary decimal components, the clerk is aided both by the difference of color, and by the shift of observation to another row, or set of rows, to locate readily not only the leading decimal component 700 of the secondary number, but also the tensdigit component carried by a tab 12 upon a sub-guide b", in Fig. 3, the location of which is all that is necessary to complete the search for the secondary index-number 730, there being no units-digit other than the cipher which stands in place of the missing sixth letter of the name Smith.

I have shown, however, several sub-guides 6 bearing secondary units-digit components, upon tabs 5 at the extreme right-hand position in Fig. 3, and of these tabs. the first, or nearest to thefront, bearing the unitsdigit decimal component 2, is read with the leading decimal component 400 and the tens digit decimal component in preceding rows, constitutin the set appro riate to secondary index num ers, so that t us read from left to right in continuity they constitute the secondary index-number 4 12, and all subject-matter units in this sub-division having subject-matter designations in which the second three letters of the surname are to be coded 442 will be filed and found back of the sub-guide b bearing the secondary index tab 2, next to the rear of the tens digit-guide 40 which follows next after the leadin secondary hundreds decimal component 400.

Reverting to the search for the George Stewart Smith location, the next operation will be to find the tertiary index number 325 which has been coded from the first three letters GEO of the given name George, as above described, and accordingly the clerk searches for tertiary tabs respectively bearing a hundreds-digit component 300, a tens-digit decimal component )0 and a units-(1i glt decimal component 5. these tabs of tertiary guides being distinguished in Fig. 3 by the reference characters b, b and Z respectively, and the body portions of the guides being distinguished by the reference character I), in general. The leading decimal components of the tertiary series are shown in Fig. 3 as occupying positions in the same row as are the leading decimal components of the primary series, i. e., the first row following the rows of alphabe ical indicia, so that the tertiary tabs are given a contrasting color-yellow,--(indicated by cross-hatchin which distinguishes them clearly from the blue primary tabs, while the shift in observation from the extreme right hand row of the secondary series with its red tabs, to the extreme left-hand row of yellow numerical indicia further aids the eye of the clerk in searching for the tertiary number 325, the latter being found in Fig. 3 toward the rear of the file.

The operation of location still requires a search for the quaternary index-number 772, this three-digit index-number being coded from the first three letters STE, of the middle name Stewart, as are all quaternary index-numbers, preferably, the quaternary sub-guides 6" having tabs Z2 colored green, as indicated by diagonal hatching in Fig. 3, and, without further detailed description, in view of the complete description here tofore given with reference to the primary, secondary, and tertiary index-numbers, it will suflice to note that the quaternary indexnumber 772 is indexed simply by a quaternary sub-guide I)", having a green tab 6 at the rear of Fig. 3, bearing thehundreds-digit decimal component 700 of the quaternary index-number, no further sub-guides being necessary for final location of the Geor e Stewart Smith unit, which stands closely back of the above 700 guide, there being few if any, units of matter having the same com ination of primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary index-numbers as those associated with the name George Stewart Smith.

It will be observed, however, that the very absence of sub-guides back of the quaternary subuide 700 indicates possibilities of furt er subdivision by the use of the exclusively numerical sub-guides of the quaternary series in the tens-digit position or row and the units-digit row respectively. The tabs 12 are colored green referably, in contrast to the red tabs I) o the secondar series, which occu y the same rows in the orm of file illustrate in Fig. 3, but it is to be understood that the combination of colors illustrated is optional and the presence of more than one series of index-numbers in any set of rows is not necessary, nor is it necessary to have plural sets of rows, if convenience of observation can be served in particular instances by the alignment of all the hundreds decimal components, whether of primary, secondary, tertiary or quaternary index-numbers, in a single row, the tens-digit decimal components in a second row and the unitsdigit decimal components in a third row, but ordinarily the presence of more than two different series, such as the primary and tertiary components, in a single row, renders them crowded and not convenient to observe.

The mode of operation of my improved system is clearly apparent from the above description, and it is considered unnecessary to describe an extended series of searches, as the organization of the system is such as to bring it within the usual scope of operations of clerks skilled in the art of filing, but as one further illustration of the manner in which units of matter are located in different positions within the file, I have shown at a. in Fig. 3 the card or subject-matter unit ofone Benjamin A. Smith, partly withdrawn to show his name written conventionall as a subject-matter designation, and also t e appropriate primary, secondary and tertiary filing-numbers in juxtaposition with the portions of the subject-matter designation from which they have been derived, viz.,

SMI-TH.BEN 7 5 3-73 0-1 2 5 It will be seen readily by what guides this name is indexed, and that the provision of a tertiary filing-number is am 1y sufiicient to differentiate it from the eorge Stewart Smith unit for convenient location in reference filing and finding.

It may be noted that the employment of ciphers to fill out filing-numbers where the subject-matter designations lack the appropriate number of letters, has as a corollary that there are no filing-numbers from 101 to 109 and 201 to 209, etc. Furthermore there is no filing number less than 100, when strict adherence is had to the three-digit formation of index-numbers, as I prefer.

I have already noted that the novel combination of al habetical indicia with complemental, exclusively numerical indicia, formed upon separate ta s integral with the same guide-member, and the organization thereon of the several series of three-digit indexnumbers with their decimalcomponents displayed in sets of three adjacent rows on successive guides, is the result of a carefully planned urpose to make it possible to provide all t e stock guides required for a perpetual and infinitely expansible system, by the use of less than ten different dies to emboss a corresponding number of blanks for the concurrent formation on each blan of several sets of decimal components of the numerical indicia, and several letters of the alphabet, thereby to permit the production w1th great expedition and maximum economy 0 every guide which users may demand, in any desired quantity.

For this purpose, any suitable blanks may be used, and I have illustrated in Fig. 5 nine blanks which represent in the aggregate the entire series of blanks from which a complete equi figient of guides for such a record-file can formed, according to my novel system, in such quantities as the ma be required, from tlme to time, an wit out the need for ascertaining or forecasting probable future requirements, this novel set of blanks vention.

The blanks shown in Fig. 5 are preferably uniform in shape and size, and suitably designed to be utilized in the production of main-guides and sub-guides of the type illustrated in various figures of the drawings, and distinguished by the reference characters, I), e 0.

These blanks are distinguished by the reference characters B 9 inclusive, and each blank bears, toward the right-hand side of its u per margin, duplicate sets of embossed num ers, disp ayed in diiferent indexing positions, and, toward the left-hand side of the upper margin, each blank bears embossed letters of the alphabet, in different indexing positions, three letters for each blank, Fig. 5 indicating, in rather diagrammatic form, the arrangement of letters and numbers upon the respective blanks B which are so clearly illustrated as not to require special descri tion, it being understood that guides are pro need from the appropriate blank by the conventional operation of tabbing off.

For example, the blank B bears on its upper margin the following indicia, viz.,

A B C 10 1 100 10 1; and the blank B bearsD E F 200 20 2 200 20 2;

so that to form a complete set of mainuides,

capable of serving as the alphabetical indicia for any size of record-file, and also furnishing the basis for infinite sub-division by ex clusively numerical indicia, the manufacturer need only emboss three blanks like B and three each like B-B inclusive, with one like B, making twenty-five in all, after which hewill talrofi the blanks to produce the main-guides shown in Fig. 1.

Thus the A 100 main-guide shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 7, is roduced by embossing a blank like B and tabbing or cutting away the B and C and all the decimal components other than the 100 next to the A; the B 100 main-guide is produced by embossing another blank like B and cutting away the A and C and all the decimal components other than the 100 next to the B and the C 100 main-guide is produced by embossing a third blank like B and cutting away the A and B and all the decimal components other than the 100 next to the C.

Th D 20077, E 200 d F7! 200 main-guides are similarly produced from three blanks like B; and so on until the single XZ 900 main-guide has been formed from a blank like B". s

The formation of a sub-guide having a tab bearing any decimal component in any indexing position whatever of those provided for, may be accomplished by cutting away from the margin all other decimal components and the letters, leaving only a 50 or a 3 or any other desired decimal component, in the properindexing position.

The tabs thus left integral with the mainguides are then preferably bent over to present the indicia in a position permanently inclined rearwardly and upwardly relatively to the face of the guides, as shown in detail in Fig. 7, to promote ease of observation, and when it is desired to provide for subdivision of the subject-matter units beyond that accomplished by the use of primary three-digit filing-numbers, I regard it as very desirable to enamel or otherwise color the tabs distinctively according to the series in which they are to be used, say blue for rimary guides, red for secondary, yellow or tertiary and green for quaternary, as hereinbefore set orth, this being a suitable stage of their manufacture at which to supply such a differentiating characteristic or distinguishment. This color scheme is referred to in the instruction card shown in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 7 I have shown in perspective a fragmentary view in detail of onecorner of the main-guide A 100, which shows clearly the embossed indicia, with the enamel applied at d to form a blue field of color on the tabs 6 'and b contrasting with the enclosed face of the indicia, the latter being preferably left in the bright natural color of the aluminum.

This figure also illustrates clearly the inclined position of the integral tabs b and b.

In Flg. 6,1 have shown a blank B" of larger proportions than those illustrated in Fig. 5, and in which advantage is taken of the additional space on the upper margin to prov vide for 1; rec sets of decimal components, so that the rimary, secondary and tertiary index-num ers may each have separate sets of rows for their'decimal components, it being understood that this blank B is one of a se-' ries of nine like those shown in Fig. 5, from which can be formed all guides of an equip ,I limit myself otherwise than as set forth in the claims, read in connection with this specification.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A s stem of guides for indexing recordfiles of t eclass having subject-matter units provided with subject-matter designations; said guide-system being characterized by main-guides each res ectively displaying a letter of the alphabet 1n an indexing position and displaying respectively, in a separate indexing position, a numerical index coded from said alphabetical index to the subjectmatter designations.

2. A system of guides for indexing recordfiles of the class having subject-matter units provided with subject-matter designations; said guide-system being characterized by main-guides each respectively displaying a letter of the alphabet upon a tab in an indexing position and displaying respectively, upon a tab in a separate indexing position, a numerical index.

3. A system of guides for indexing recordfiles of the class having subject-matter units provided with subject-matter designations; said guide-system being characterized by main-guides each respectively displaying a letter of the alphabet in an indexing position and displaying respectively, in a separate indexing position, a complemental numerical index. I

4. A system of guides for indexing record-files of the class having subject-matter units provided with subject-matter designations said guide-system being characterized by main-guides each respectively displaying a letter of the alphabet in an indexing posimain-guides each respectively displaying a letter of the alphabet in an indexing position and displaying respectively, in a separate indexing position, a leading decimal component of a set of numerical indicia related to said subject matter designations.

6. A system of guides for indexing recordfiles of the class having subject-matter units provided with subject-matter designations;

said guide-system being characterized by main-guides each respectively displaying a letter of the alphabet in an indexing position and displaying respectively, in a separate indexing position, a leading decimal component of a set of numerical indicia related to said displaying respectively succ'eeding decimal components of said numerical indicia.

7. A system of guides for indexing recordfiles of the class having subject-matter units provided with subject-matter designations; said guide-system being characterized by maineguides each respectively displaying a letter of the alphabet in an indexing position and displaying respectively, in a separate indexing position, the leading decimal compo nent of an index-number coded from said alphabetical index to the subject-matter designations.

8. A system of guides for indexing record files of the class having subject-matter units provided with subject-matter designations; said guide-system being characterized by main-guides each respectively displaying a letter of the alphabet in an indexing position and displaying respectively, in a separate indexing position, the leading decimal component of a three-digit index-number coded from said alphabetical index to the subjectmatter designations. I

9. A system of guides for indexing recordfiles of the class having subject-matter units provided with subject-matter designations;-

said guide-system comprising main-guides respectively characterized by a (plurality of integral tabs, one of said tabs lsplaying a letter of the alphabet in an indexing position, and another of said tabs displaying, in a separate indexing position, the leading decimal component of a set of numerical indicia related to said subject matter designations.

10. A system of guides for indexing recordfiles of the class having subject-matter units provided with subject-matter designations; said guide-system being characterized by main-guides each respectively displaying a letter of the alphabet in an indexing position and displaying respectively, in a separate indexing osition, the leading decimal component of a three-digit index-number coded from said alphabetical index to the subjectmatter designations, and subides displaying respectively succeeding ecimal components of said index-number.

11. A system of guides for indexing recordfiles of the class having subject-matter units provided with subject-matter designations; said guide-system being characterized by main-guides each respectively displaying a letter of the alphabet in an indexing position and displaying respectively, in a separate indexing position, the leading decimal com onent of a three-digit index-number ed from said alphabetical index to the subjectmatter designations, and sub-guides displaying respectively succeeding decimal components of said index-numbers, with the hundreds, tens and units-digit components respectively aligned in neighboring rows, to permit said decimal components to be read in continuity from one row to another to yield the respective index-numbers.

12. A system of guides for record-files of the class having subject-matter .units provided with subject-matter designations; said guide-system being characterized by guides respectively displaying, in a set of three adj acent, ofi'set indexing positions, the hundreds, tens and units-digit decimal components of three-digit index-numbers severally coded from said subject-matter designations, and readable in continuity from row to row in said set, the said hundreds-digit and tensdigit decimal components being respectively written with ciphers to aid the eye in locating complemental components in adjacent rows in which they are at considerably different distances from the user.

13. A system of guides for filing-systems, said guides each respectively displaying a letter of the alphabet in an indexing osition offset from that of neighboring gui es, and displaying respectively in a se aratd indexing position the hundredsigit decimal component of an index-number.

14. A system of guides for filing systems, said guides each res tively displaying a letter of the alphabet 1n an indexing ositlon offset from that of neighboring gui es, and displaying respectively in a separate indexing position the hundreds-digit decimal component of an index-number, said decimal-component positions beingin alignment.

15. A system of guides for indexing record-files of the class having subject-matter units provided with subject-matter designations; said guide-system being characterized by main guides each respectively displaying a letter of the alphabet in an indexing position and displaying respectively, in a separate indexing position, the leading decimal component of an index-number derived from said subject-matter designation, according to a code substantially as follows:

ABC DEF GHI JKL MNO 1 2 3 4 5 393 STU VWY xg 6 7 8 9 16. A system of guides for indexing record-files of the class having subject-matter units provided with subject-matter designation; said guide-system being characterized by main-guides each respectively displaying a letter of the alphabet in an indexing position and displaying respectively, in a separate position, the leading decimal component of a three-digit index-number derived from said subject-matter designations according to a code substantially as set forth in claim 15.

17. A system of guides for filing systems, said guides each respectively displaying a letter of the alphabet in an indexing position, and displaying in a separate indexing position a hundreds-digit decimal component of an index-number derived from said alphabetical index according to a code substantially as follows:

ABC DEF GHI 139B 3 LUZ ZZ 600 700 800 900 18. A guide for filing systems, said guide displaying a letter of the alphabet in an indexing position, and displaying in a separate posit-ion a hundreds-digit component of an index-number derived from said alphabetical index according to a code substantially as set forth in claim 17.

19. A record-filing system comprising as elements subject-matter units provided with subject-matter designations and with a plurality of series of three-digit filing-numbers coded from said designations; said filing system comprising as other elements guides hearing respectively a decimal component of one -of a plurality of series of three-digit indexponent of secondary, tertiary or quaternary playing respectively, in a separate indexing position, the hundreds-digit decimal component of a primary index-number coded from said subject-matter designations; and sub-guides displaying in oflset positions the this-digit and units-digit decimal components respectively of said primary index-numher, to be read in continuation of said hundreds-digit component as a complete threedigit index-number forming one of a primary series serving to sub-divide numerically the units of matter already arranged alphabetically; and other sub-guides constituting a secondary series, a tertiary series and a quaternary series respectively, each series comprising three-digit index-numbers also coded from said subject-matter designations, and so characterized as to distinguish the guides of each series from the guides of its predecessor, the secondary guides serving to subdivide subject-matter units already subdivided by the primary index-numbers, and the tertiary guides serving to subdivide, still further, the subject-matter units already subdivided by the secondary guides, while the quaternary guides provide the means for still further subdivision of the subject-matter units divided and subdivided as above indicated.

22. A system of guides for record-files of the class having subject-matter units pro vided with subject-matter designations; said 1 guide-system being characterized by guides respectively displaying in plurality sets of rows, each set comprising three adjacent offset indexing positions, the hundreds, tens and units-digit decimal-components of three-digit index-numbers severally coded from said subject-matter designations and readable in continuity from row to row in each set, as whole three-digit numbers.

23. A system of guides for record-files of the class having subject-matter units provided with subject-matter designations; said guide-system being characterized byguides respectively displaying in plural sets of rows, each set comprising three adjacent offset indexing positions, the hundreds, tens and units-digit decimal-components of threedi it index numbers severally coded from said subject-matter designations and readable in continuity from row to row in each set, as whole three-digit numbers, certain of said sets of rows containing plural series of said subject-matter designations and readable in continuity from row to row in each set, as whole three-digit numbers, certain of said sets of rows containing plural series of 'said decimal components, with distinguishments of color.

25. A guide-system of the class described; comprising guides bearing three-digitindexnumbers in plural series.

26. A guidestem of the class described; comprising gui es bearing three-digit indexnumbers in plural series, each of said guides displaying a decimal component of one of said index-numbers.

27. A guide-system of the class described; comprising guides each displaying respectively a decimalcomponent of a three-digit index-number constituting one of a plural series including primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary index-numbers; each of said three-digit index-numbers having a bundreds-digit component, a tens-digit component, and a units-digit component.

28. A guide-system of the class described; comprising guides each displaying respectively a decimal component of a three-digit index-number constituting one of a plural series including primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary index-numbers; each of sa1d three-digit index-numbers having a hundreds-digit component, a tens-digit component, and a units-digit component; and sa1d guides displaying distinguishments characteristic of said primary, secondary, tertlary and quaternary series, in conjunction with the several components of said index-numbers respectively. p

29. A guide-system of the class described; comprising guides each displaying respectively a decimal component of a three-digit index-number constituting one of a plural series including primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary index-numbers; each of sa1d three-digit index-numbers havlng a hundreds-digit component, a tens-digit compo-.

nent, and a units-digit component; and said guides displaying colors characteristic of said primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary series, in conjunction with the several components of said index-numbers respectively. p

30. A guide for filing-systems, said guide displaying a letter of the alphabet in an indexing position, and displaying in a separate indexing position a decimal component of an index-number.

31. A guide for filing-systems, said guide displaying a letter of the alphabet in an indexing position, and displaying in a separate indexing position a decimal component of an index-number coded from said alphabetical index. 7

32. A guide for filing-systems, said guide displaying a letter of the alphabet in an indexing position, and displaying in a separate indexing position a'decimal component of an index-number derived from said alphabetical index according to a code substantially that set forth in claim 15.

33. A guide for filing-systems, said guide comprising a metal body-portion, an integral metal tab bearing an alphabetical index, and a separate integral metal tab bearing permanent numerical indicia.

34. A guide for filing-systems, said guide comprising a body-portion, and a plurality of tabs thereon, one tab bearing an alphabetical index, and a separate tab bearing complemental numerical indicia.

35. A guide for filing-systems, said guide comprising a body-portion, and a plurality of integral tabs thereon. one tab bearing an alphabetical index, and a separate tab bearing complemental numerical indicia.

36. A filing-member of the class described, said filing-member comprising a body-portion, and an integral. permanently inclined marginal portion. having an index formed permanently in relief thereon.

37. A filing-member of the class described, said. filing-member comprising a body-portion, and an integral, permanently inclined marginal portion bearing embossed numerical indicia.

38. -A guide for filing-systems, said guide comprising a body-portion, and a plurality of permanently inclined integral tabs thereon.

39. A guide for filing-systems, said guide comprising a body-portion, and a plurality of permanently inclined integral tabs thereon, one bearing alphabetical indicia and other bearing numerical indicia.

40. A record-filing system comprising aluminum guides having integral tabs inclined upwardly and rearwardly, relatively to the body-portion of said guides, and bearing permanent filing indicia.

41. A record-filing system comprising ides respectively constituted of relatively lndestructlble material with indicia formed permanently thereon, in relief.

42. A record-filing system comprising guides res ctively constituted of relatively indestructible material embossed with indicia in relief.

43. A record-filing system comprising uides respectively constituted of re atively lndestructlble material embossed with relief indicia in fields of contrasting colors.

44. A record-filing system comprising guides res ectively constituted of relatively indestructl le material embossed with relief indicia in fields of contrasting colors of enamel.

45. A record-filing system comprising guides constituted of relatively indestructible material, and provided with perma nent indicia formed in fields of contrasting colors. 1

46. A record-filing system comprising guides constituted of relatively indestructible material, and provided with permanentindicia formed in fields of contrasting colors upon tabs borne thereby.

47. A record-filing system comprising guides constituted of relatively indestructible material, and provided with permanent indicia formed in fields of contrasting colors, upon tabs integral with the body-portion of said guides.

48. A record-filing system comprising guides respectively constituted of bright metal having tabs with indicia formed by displaying said bright metal in fields of contrasting color.

49. A record-filing system comprising aluminum guides having tabs bearing indicia displaying said aluminum in fields of contrasting colors.

50. A record-filing system comprising aluminum guides havin tabs bearingindicia displaying said aluminum in fields of contrasting enamel.

51. A record-filing system comprising aluminum guides having tabs bearing indicia displaying said aluminum in fields of contrasting color.

52. The method of making stock guides for filing-systems by embossing metal blanks to form thereon complemental, alphabetical and Signed at New York, in the county of New September, 1923.

numerical marginal indicia, removin portions of said indicia, bending the meta margins to display the remaining indicia at an angle to the bodies of said blanks, and coloring said margins.

53. A set of blanks for stock filing-guides, I

said set being constituted of blanks in nine series having thereon alphabetical and numerical indicia in substantially the following arrangement 54. A set'of blanks for stock filing-guides, said set being constituted of blanks in nine series having thereon alphabetical and numerical indicia in substantially the following arrangement ma owmm geeozwmsiw Moscow-we gooo-qoaoueoowl- 55. A set of blanks for stack filing-guides, said set being constituted of blanks in nine series having thereon alphabetical and numerical indicia in substantially the follow- I ing arrangement.

York, and State of New York this 5th da of CHESTER I. WAGNE 

